Family Tree
by Krystyna
Summary: Its been more then 20 years since we last saw anyone from Trinity. Things have changed for Lucas, and there are more changes ahead.
1. Default Chapter

Disclaimer: All American Gothic characters are property   
of Shaun Cassidy ect....  
  
All original characters are property of the author   
and may not be used in any other story.  
  
  
Summary: Its been more then 20 years since we last saw anyone from   
Trinity. Things have changed for Lucas, and there are more changes   
ahead. 


	2. Chapter 1

Family Tree  
  
A brown haired, Blake Healy kept driving as the rain began to pour.   
He peered into the mirror to see how she was doing. The doctor said   
she had lost a lot of blood and considering what had happened,   
handling the shock well.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jessica Buck slept the rest of the way home, at least she tried to.   
She had dug out of her duffel bag a navy blue sweatshirt to keep her   
warm. The doctor said she was well enough to travel as long as she went  
to see the local doctor the day or the day after she returned.   
  
Blake was an angel, she's be dead if it wasn't for him.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gail, dressed in blue jeans and T-shirt, ran her fingers through her graying hair as she sat  
by the telephone, waiting. She excepted that type of phone call concerning Lucas, or Caleb   
for that matter, but her own daughter?   
Gail had been trying to reach Lucas and Caleb since Blake called to tell   
her what had happened, needless to say, she hadn't gotten much sleep the past few days.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
It was about 6 am when Blake hit the outskirts of Trinity. When he called his parents to say   
that he and Jesse would be coming home from college, Ben and Rita were thrilled.   
Then Blake told them why, the happiness faded.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jess' glazed over brown eyes popped open as soon as they past the "Welcome to Trinity" sign.   
"Blake you've been driving for almost 10 straight hours. Why don't you bunk at the Buck mansion for a few hours?" she said sitting up in the back seat of the car.  
  
He rubbed his hazel eyes and responded, "Sorry hon, not this time. Mom's shift is just about finished at the hospital so I thought I would pick her up so she doesn't have to bike home."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Blake pulled in front of the infamous Buck mansion just as it began to rain even harder. Jesse, put her blue ball cap on her auburn hair, gathered up her duffel bag   
as he climbed out and put the umbrella up. She reached for her book bag in the front seat and squirmed as the pain of her bandaged ribs shot through her chest.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gail ran out under her umbrella as Blake helped her out of the car.   
"Mrs. Buck, will you make sure that she doesn't study, but rest?" he said nodding   
towards the book bag.   
  
"Count on it." said Gail as they helped Jessica inside.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She woke up around noon that day. Her eyes panned the room to see the posters of wolves, tigers, dragons and unicorns. Slowly and quietly she got out of bed and headed for the door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. Chapter 2

  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Upon opening the door she poked her head around the corner and heard her mother in the kitchen.  
She was feeling much better then she had been these past few days, she figured it was time to get some of her schoolwork done. So off she went sneaking down the stairs, hunting for her book bag.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gail caught Jesse with her English text book open on her lap. "Young lady." she scolded. "You are supposed to be resting." Gail moved the folders on the bed and sat down.   
  
"I'm fine, really." Jess replied.   
  
"The doctor said you lost a lot of blood and you need rest to build your strength up. I've made an appointment with Doc Trey, the new doctor in town for later today."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The phone rang just as they were about to walk out the door. "Caleb? Where have you been? I have been trying to reach you...Good, see you then."   
Gail hung up and turned to Jesse and said, "Come on, we don't need to be late."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Caleb, had turned out to be his father's son, he hadn't changed much, except for the fact he's alittle taller and a deputy.   
He turned on the radio and tuned into a news station.   
  
The D.J.'s voice came on and said, "The notorious Nickel and Dime killer is in custody after attacking another college student.   
The student's name is not being released until all family members are notified. This student endured serious knife wounds to their body   
and is alive today after another student came to their aide."  
  
He snapped the knob off and drove home with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Stop worrying, I'm fine." sighed Jess in the office.   
  
"Merlin, I will not stop worrying. Besides, your father is going to hit the ceiling when he finds out..."  
  
"Ladies..." the door to the office opened and in walked a young black hair doctor.   
His brown eyes sparkled when he sat on the desk.  
  
"Your cell count is slowly coming back up to normal levels. Considering what has happened, I'm surprised you are still alive."   
Doc Trey sat on the desk. "At this time I see no reason to start her on medication for that, but I am going to give her something for the pain and I want her to rest."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
Gail shooed her upstairs as soon as they got home.   
A few minutes later, Gail collected all of her school work, except her history text book and notes.  
"When you finish, no more. I'll be in the study if you need me."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Caleb seemed to burst through the door a few hours later. "Where's Lucas?" were the first words out of Gail's mouth when Caleb appeared in the doorway.   
  
"He's finishin' up, should be at the police station by now." His eyes narrowed, "Does this have anything to do with Jess bein' home?" 


	4. Chapter 3

~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lucas Buck walked into the sheriff's station and straight into his office. Upon opening the door he caught Ben behind his desk, organizing folders.   
  
Ben swallowed hard, "Hi, hi, Lucas, I was just umm, giving you my report on what happened since you and Caleb have been gone."  
  
"Why thank you Ben." said Lucas sitting on his desk and running his fingers through his dark hair. "Have you heard from Blake lately?"  
  
Ben stopped in his tracks and swallowed hard. "You mean Gail wasn't able to tell you?"   
  
Lucas eyed Ben, "Tell me what Ben?"  
  
Healy shook his head and said, "Blake and Jessica had a problem."   
  
Lucas nodded as if to say "Go on..."  
  
"You know that crazy that's in the news lately? The one that's attacking people?" Ben paused, "He got Jess as she walked home from one of her night classes. She lost a lot of blood, the docs said that if Blake hadn't been there, she'd be dead."  
  
Lucas was speechless. He couldn't believe it, his only daughter attacked.   
  
"They caught him."   
  
Lucas took a deep breath and sat there in silence.   
  
"Lucas, I'm sorry. I got the call from Blake a few days ago. Said the colleges was goin' let them come home.   
The docs said that it would be the best thing." finished Ben.  
  
"How's Blake handling this?" asked Lucas getting off his desk.   
  
"He's fine Lucas, just got a few cuts on his arm from that nut, that's all."   
  
Lucas smiled and slapped Ben on the back. "That's good, if you need me, I'll be at home."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
J. Nickolas was laying on his bunk, picking at the scratches on his face   
that he got during the attack, when a guard came for him.   
Nickolas was a tall, muscular man with green eyes and short red hair.   
The guard said nothing as he was lead into a small room, waiting in the   
room was a man he'd never seen before.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The man had short, dirty, blond hair, and blue eyes with a muscular build.   
Nikolas sat across the table from the man and neither man spoke. After about 5 minutes the  
blond haired man left the room.   
  
Nickolas was lead out, then a few hours later he was found dead in his cell.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gail was waiting at the front door when Lucas came home.   
"Lucas...." Gail's words fell on deaf ears.   
"Lucas, she's finally asleep." He headed for the stairs, as she grabbed his arm. "Don't you dare wake her."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lucas opened Jesse's door and peeked in. She had fallen asleep with her history work at the bottom of her bed.   
  
Lucas scanned the room and saw Caleb asleep in a chair to the right of her bed.   
  
Sensing his father's presence, Caleb's left eye opened, then the right one.   
He stretched quietly getting up and kissed her on the forehead. "She's fine, don't worry." he said to Lucas, after closing the door.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The darkness followed her. "Run." panted Jesse as she leaned against a tree for the moment.  
She began to run through the trees, but the darkness still swallowed her.   
She heard foot steps behind her coming closer.  
She reached the clearing and saw a cemetery. Looking around she saw a raven sitting on the headstone.   
  
She was barely able to make it out, "Ann Buck..." the raven then began to caw at something behind her.  
She looked behind her, seeing nothing she turned back around. The raven was gone and in its place was a dark looming figure.   
The figure's arms reached and began to strangle her. The headstone began to bleed and moan as the figure choked her. She saw blood on the arms of the figure, and felt blood around her neck as a bright light appeared to the left of the figure.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"No!" she sat up with a start. She took a few deep breathes, turned on her small lamp on her night stand and got out of bed and headed for her dresser mirror.   
She smiled as she looked at the small photo of Merlin the magician she had place in the corner. Merlin had been her nickname since high school. So named because she could always cram for a test the night   
before and pull a passing grade. Her father wasn't too crazy about the nickname, but he tolerated it.  
  
"Nothing." she sighed with relief as she inspected her neck. She began to paw through the top drawer looking for her brush and pick. After a few strokes through her hair, she looked into the mirror again.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Her reflection wasn't the only one in the mirror. Merlyn Temple stared at her through the mirror. Startled Jesse turned around slowly. "M..M..Merlyn?"   
Merlyn Temple was not behind her, but when she looked back into the mirror she was gone.   
She heard a voice echo, "Someone's at the door....."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Downstairs the doorbell rang. Lucas jumped from his chair in the study and headed for the door.  
A man was standing on the other side of the door. He had a long black drifter coat and dirty blond hair with cold blue eyes, it was the same man who went to visit Nickolas.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
"Jared?" Lucas hollered. "Son of a gun, it is you!" Jared Buck stepped through the threshold and stuck out his hand to Lucas.   
  
"Who is it Lucas?" called Gail from the kitchen. Caleb emerged from the study moments later.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lucas was grinning ear to ear. "Caleb, this is your uncle Jared." pronounced Lucas.   
  
"Nice to meet ya." said Caleb shaking hands with Jared.  
Gail came out of the kitchen and was introduced to Jared. "Mrs. Buck." Jared kissed Gail's hand.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She heard voices coming from downstairs. A chill went through her body as she finished slipping into a pair of blue jeans. The door to her room closed behind her as she quietly stepped into the hallway.  
  
The hallway was cold, at least she thought so, staring at the gathering downstairs. She felt the vibes from her parents and Caleb, but nothing from this man, that worried her. Her feet stayed glued to the floor as she watched.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lucas looked up and saw her standing there, staring at Jared.   
  
"Jessica."   
  
She cringed as her father said that.   
  
"Jessica Ann, come down stairs and meet your Uncle Jared." He frowned.   
  
She headed downstairs before he said anything more.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She stuck out her hand and said, "Pleased to meet you Uncle Jared." He took her hand and the moment he did she a chill swept through her body, and her dream flashed back into her mind.  
The figure from her dreams, now had a face, Jared.  
  
"I would like to stay," she lied, "but I am in need of fresh air." she kissed Lucas on the cheek, grabbed a black sweater from the hall closet and headed out.   
  
After she had left Jared turned to Lucas and said, "She reminds me of Ann."   
  
Lucas smiled and said, "She does, doesn't she?"   
  
~~~~~~~~~~ 


	5. Chapter 4

She stuck out her hand and said, "Pleased to meet you Uncle Jared."   
He took her hand and the moment he did she a chill swept through her body, and her dream flashed back into her mind.  
The figure from her dreams, now had a face, Jared.  
  
"I would like to stay," she lied, "but I am in need of fresh air." she kissed Lucas on the cheek, grabbed a black sweater from the hall closet and headed out.   
  
After she had left Jared turned to Lucas and said, "She reminds me of Ann."   
  
Lucas smiled and said, "She does, doesn't she?"   
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She stopped walking all of a sudden, when a bright light appeared in front of her. Jess looked around to see a wooded area, like in her dream surrounded her. The light took form of Merlyn Temple. "Please leave me be." said Jess.   
  
Merlyn shook her head, "I can't do that."   
  
Jess put her hands on her hips and said, "Well Merlyn Temple, I thought you hated all Bucks."  
  
Merlyn shook her head, "I don't."   
  
Jesse turned to walk away, when a car drove by with the radio blasting, the local D.J.'s voice echoed in the air.   
  
"The Nickel and Dime killer has been found dead in his cell. Authorities are not releasing details, as of yet, we will keep you informed."  
  
"What?" Jesse leaned against a tree.   
  
"Jared?" she asked of Merlyn.   
  
"Yes."   
  
Jesse shook her head, "Why?"   
  
Merlyn came closer and said, "Because of who you are. A female Buck. The powers you posses are more powerful then any male Buck."  
  
"What powers?" she asked glaring and folding her arms across her chest.   
  
The sky began to darken as the wind began to howl around them.  
"You close doors without touching them, turn lights on and off, not to mention how you escaped that madman...."  
  
"Blake did it, I had nothing to do with that."   
  
Before anymore was said, lighting split a tree in half and it came tumbling towards them.   
  
Jessica just looked up at the tree and it stopped in mid air long enough for Jesse to move.  
  
With that a bright light surrounded her and engulfed her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I don't like this Lucas." the blond little girl said. "Its really getting dark, remember what they said about being out in the dark?"  
She snuggled closer to a boy with short brown hair.  
  
"If you're goin' act this way you can just go home." spoke up another boy with short blond hair, jumping on the metal train bridge.  
  
"No way Jared Buck. I ain't scared." she climbed onto the bridge as she said that.  
  
Young Lucas shook his head as he looked over the bridge and swallowed hard at the long way down.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jessica Buck stood a few feet from the bridge, dumbfounded.  
  
"What's going on?" she asked Merlyn.  
  
"Watch."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
"Let's go Ann." Lucas said pulling himself onto the bridge. "Ann." He reached out to grab her as Jared pulled her back towards him.  
  
"She's gonna stay here." Jared told Lucas.  
  
"No, it ain't safe." Lucas argued.  
  
"I want to stay." Ann's gray eyes filled with the excitement of saying no to Lucas.  
  
"No." Lucas protested.  
  
"Lucas go home." Jared's tone was stern.  
  
"FINE!" yelled Lucas walking away.Jared grinned as he watched him leave.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jessica watched as young Lucas walked away. "Don't leave her..." she whispered.  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ann watched Lucas walk away and she suddenly got very frightened.  
"Lucas! Wait for me!" Ann called trying to get down from the bridge.  
  
Lucas turned around in time to see Jared push her from the bridge.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Ann's scream sent chills through Jessica's body. She looked at Jared, then she saw the  
horrified look on Lucas' face.   
  
"That's not going to happen to me." Jessica mumbled. 


	6. Chapter 5

Merlin Buck awoke the next day to voices in the kitchen.   
She climbed out bed, which was apparently the wrong way, because her ribs began to ache.   
Shaking off the pain she gathered up her clothes for the day and headed for the shower.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"She lives!" mumbled Gail as the sound of the shower was heard downstairs.  
  
Lucas smiled, "What time did she get in last night?"  
  
"Around 2 am." Gail answered.  
  
"Is that what the hollering was about?" Caleb spoke up.  
  
"You two had a fight last night?" Lucas' curiosity was sparked.  
  
"Yeap." was all Gail said.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Twenty minutes later Jess was dressed in her normal "uniform" as Blake called it, a pair of blue jeans and a snarling white wolf tee shirt.   
  
"Where do you think you're going young lady?" Gail's tone from her doorway was almost frightening.  
  
"Out for some fresh air and studying." she replied.  
  
"No."  
  
"What do you mean no?"  
  
"You are supposed to rest." Gail said.  
  
"I cannot stay cooped up at home, I'll go crazy. Besides, I have finals..." Jessica grabbed her book bag and headed towards her mother.  
  
"I mean it. No." Gail moved away from the doorway.  
  
"I mean this too." Merlin got through the threshold and closed the door on her mother.  
  
"JESSICA ANN BUCK." yelled Gail coming out of the room.  
  
"What?!" Jessica yelled towards at Gail as she came down the stairs.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Oh boy." Lucas had heard the commotion between his two ladies and waited until the best time to interject.  
  
"You might want to step in now before somethin' happens." suggested Caleb.  
  
"Good idea. We don't need anymore blood shed in the house." smiled Lucas heading for the front of the house.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Merlyn Temple appeared at the top of the stairs to watch the show.  
  
"Ladies......" Lucas walked right into the middle of the problem.  
  
"She's definitely your daughter Lucas, she's as pig headed about things as you are." Gail shouted.  
  
"Excuse me?" Lucas was surprised.  
  
"Pig headed?" Jessica and Lucas repeated in unison.  
  
Merlin's eyes narrowed. "That's it, I'm going out before I say something I'll regret later."   
  
"No you're not!"  
  
"The hell I am!"  
  
"Jessica, do not talk to your mother like that." injected Lucas.  
  
"Over my dead body, the doctor said...." Gail shot back.  
  
"The doctor said she needs some R and R. She ain't getting that with you two hollerin' at each other." put in Lucas.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" hollered Gail.  
  
"I mean that staying locked up in this house won't do the girl any good if she can't move around." argued Lucas  
  
Gail threw her arms up in the air and headed for the kitchen.  
  
Lucas caught his daughter's arm and said, "Go study, I'll try to smooth things over."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Bad day?" asked a smiling Blake.  
  
"What gave it away?"grumbled Jess staring at the clear blue water behind him.  
  
"Gee let me think...The look of murder in your eyes."  
  
"Give the man a prize." she teased.  
  
"Seriously, what happened?"  
  
"My mother got mad, 'cause she didn't hear me come in last night."  
  
Blake smiled, "Its that mother thing again."  
  
"Changing subjects, have you told your parents yet?"  
  
Blake frowned. "Yes."  
  
"So what happened?"  
  
"Well Mom hit the ceiling and Dad was very calm about the whole thing."  
  
"So they have no problem with you being a cop?"  
  
"Nope. And Dad's actually very excited to be coming to graduation ceremony in a few days."  
  
"When will you be leaving?"  
  
"As soon as Dad talks to Lucas."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Why sure Ben!" The happy reaction wasn't exactly what Ben had in mind.  
  
"Are ya sure?"  
  
"Of course Ben, would I deny you this moment?" asked Lucas.  
  
"Thanks Lucas..." Ben said.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Mom?" Gail turned her head towards the door of the newspaper office. "Are you still mad at me?"  
  
Gail smiled, "No, I'm not."  
  
Jessica smiled, "Good, then can we talk?"  
  
"About what?"  
  
"Girl talk?" 


	7. Chapter 6

~~~~~~~~~~  
  
DeeDee Williams frowned as she looked out her window of her college dorm. "Its a media frenzy out there." she said.   
Jessica had been her roommate for the last 2 years of college, Dee never imagined anything  
like that could happen to someone close to her.  
  
The local papers and TV stations had been going crazy since word had leaked out that   
the only surviving victim of the "Nickel and Dime Killer," was a student here. It wouldn't be long before the national papers and TV stations would come around,   
and they would be the ones to find out about Jessica.  
  
She had received a call from her father in New York, earlier in the day, concerning the final chapter of Merlin's murder mystery. DeeDee had faxed the chapter to him,   
and he was very serious about publishing the book during the call.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I really didn't think you had a full course load. Spanish, English, English Literature, Sociology, Biology, Art, Algebra, Physical Ed. and World History,   
US History and Gothic Literature." Gail commented as she grabbed the last piece of paper from the newspaper's fax machine, the following day.  
  
"Don't forget I'm coeditor of the newspaper." Jessica added.  
  
"Right. I find it hard to believe they are going to let you take finals at home."  
  
"I guess they figure with all the media around, I wouldn't be able to get the study time in."   
  
"So what do you want to start with?"Gail asked shuffling the papers.  
  
"Surprise me." joked Merlin.  
  
"Algebra." She put the test down in front of her daughter. "One hour and forty five minutes from now."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jess ate her lunch watching the people playing with their remote control boats in the river. She finished her ham sandwich  
and then took half of a large white pill and headed for the sidewalk.   
  
Three white vans were parked under a sign that said no parking. As if someone pushed a button, the doors opened and two females and four men popped out.   
  
"There she is!" one of the men yelled.  
  
Jess realized it, reporters and she high tailed it out of the way. She looked back and saw more reporters had joined the hunt.   
Before she knew it, she was only a half a block from church, turning the last the corner she came face to face with a reporter and a recording camera.  
  
"How does it feel to be the only surviving victim of one of the bloodiest murder sprees?" the female voice asked as she shoved the mic into her face.   
The other reporters came around the corner with questions and their blinding camera lights.   
  
Jess shook her head and pushed her way into the church.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hello?" Jesse called. "Hello?"  
  
"Yes?" The priest emerged from his writing room. "Jessica? What's wrong?"  
  
Just then the doors opened and a flood of reporters began to flow in. Jessica stood behind the gray haired priest. "Reporters?" She nodded.  
  
"My children, this is a house of God, not a press meeting, now disperse." He tried to reason with them, but they refused to move.   
"Jessica, go into my office and call your father."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Caleb!" Lucas hollered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Reporters have Jessica cornered in the church." Lucas told him.  
  
"I think they need to be taught some manners." Caleb replied.  
  
"Agreed."  
  
~~~~~~~~  
  
"Good afternoon everyone, my name is Sheriff Lucas Buck." Lucas announced as he walked through the doors.   
"This is my deputy Caleb Temple." Caleb tipped his hat.  
  
"Sheriff, I'm so glad you're here....." The priest told him. "She's in my office."  
  
A scream came from the office and a reporter came through the front doors.  
  
"She broke my fingers!" the blond reporter told Lucas. "I want her arrested for assault."  
  
"Merlin, what happened?" Caleb asked as Jessica appeared from the office.  
  
"Well the window was open and she had her fingers on the sill and the window for no apparent reason slammed shut."  
  
Lucas smiled, "Sounds like an accident to me, what you think?"  
  
"Accident." Caleb said.  
  
"I'll be sure to call Jack and ask him to fix it." the priest smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Phone!" Gail yelled from the kitchen. "Jess, I've got my hands full."  
  
Jessica hurried down the stairs and grabbed at the phone knocking over the table, and everything on it.   
  
"Jess?" her Mom's voice called out.  
  
"Its fine Mom!" she called back. "Hello?"  
  
"Hi its Dee!" DeeDee's cheerful voice was on the other end.  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Listen, I faxed Daddy the last chapter of your book....."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well Dad's been reading it, and I promised him I would let him read it. Anyway, he wants to publish it."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"He wants to publish it." DeeDee repeated.   
  
Jessica said nothing.  
  
"Merlin you still there?"  
  
"When?"  
  
"As soon as possible, should I have him send you the paperwork?"  
  
"Yeah, how...."  
  
"How long? I'm not sure. I'll call Dad next and have him send the paperwork over." DeeDee said.  
  
"OK." 


	8. Chapter 7

~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Merlin heard several loud thuds as she peeked into the pot cooking on the stove. "Mom?"  
  
She headed for the front hall and found Gail on the landing, bleeding from the right side of the head.   
"MOM! Caleb!" She screamed again for Caleb, but he didn't come, she looked up and saw him at the top of the stairs. "Caleb...."  
  
It wasn't Caleb, yet it was. He came down the stairs, there was blood in the air, she could smell it.   
She stepped backwards and stepped into Jared. She let out a scream as Jared reached for her and was knocked into the front door.   
  
"Merlyn Temple, how long have you been haunting this town?" Jared asked getting up.   
  
"Long enough." replied Caleb from the stairs.  
  
"Caleb, would you do the honors?" Jared said.  
  
"Sure." Caleb took one looked at Gail still out cold and stepped over her, or tried to anyway. Gail opened her eyes,   
and seeing Caleb make a threatening move towards her daughter, she tripped him. Caleb went head first onto the floor.   
  
"Mom?" Jesse tried to move to help her up.  
  
"Go. Now." Gail told her girl.  
  
"Merlyn, stay with her?" Jesse asked.  
  
Merlyn nodded as Jessica bolted out the back door.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"She's upstairs to the right, third door on the left." the nurse at the front told Lucas as he burst through the doors.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Gail!" Lucas was worried, for the first time in his life he was very worried, first his daughter then his wife.  
  
"Where's Jessica? You have to find Jessica, Lucas, she's in danger." Gail got upset as she spoke to her husband.  
  
"What happened Gail? Gail?" The sleeping pills they had given her put her to sleep.  
  
"He's back." A small voice was heard in the room.  
  
"Huh?" Lucas turned to see a small blond, gray eyed girl holding a blond doll, in the room's doorway. "Ann?"  
  
"She's right Lucas." Merlyn Temple appeared next to Gail. "Jessica is in trouble. And Jared's behind this."  
  
"So where is she?"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
She came to a screeching halt at the railroad bridge. Stuck, she turned around to see Caleb coming towards her.   
"Ca..Ca..Caleb, I don't know what Jared's told you, but..." Jessica backed up in the opposite direction.  
  
"Don't listen to her Caleb." Jared's voice turned her stomach. "She's the only real threat to you."  
  
"Caleb, you know that's not true." Jessica tried her best not to get cornered.   
She felt the bridge up against her back, then someone grabbed her and threw her against a tree.  
  
Merlin Buck hit the tree with a sickening thud. "She's bleedin'." Caleb saw the blood pour from his half sister's body.   
All the wounds had reopened, as had the memories.  
  
"Caleb, please." She pleaded with him, as Jared went to choke her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lucas pulled up to the spot and saw Caleb standing there frozen. "Caleb! Caleb stop him." Caleb didn't move, he didn't even look like he was breathing in Lucas' eyes.  
  
"He's mine Lucas." Jared saw his younger brother and turned to face him.  
  
"Let him go."  
  
"No."   
  
Lucas grabbed his brother by the collar and demanded his son be returned to him.   
Jared over powered him and soon both of them were wrestling on the ground.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Jessica was barely able to open her eyes at the sound of her father's voice, the pain returned,  
she could feel the blood leaving her body again.   
"Merlyn, Merlyn." She managed to say the Spirit's name twice before she blacked out.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
"She will be all right." Ann remarked about Gail. "But it is Jessica I worry about."  
  
Melyn Temple heard the cry from Jessica as Ann spoke.  
  
"Go to her, I will be along shortly." Ann told her.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lucas saw his baby girl's blood surround the place where she landed after Jared threw her.   
"Jessica." Jared cut Lucas off before he got to her, with another punch to the jaw the great  
Lucas fell to the ground, bleeding from the mouth.  
  
A bright white light imbued the dying daughter of Lucas.   
Merlyn Temple appeared, dressed in a white robe and knelt down to Jessica's level.   
Placing Jessica Buck's head on her knees, Merlyn Temple did her best to comfort the suffering soul.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
"Jared." Ann's small voice startled the man who had just pushed Lucas over the edge of the railway's bridge. "Your time is now."  
  
"Go away ghost, haunt me not." Mumbling something in Latin, and a twist of the hands, Ann disappeared.   
"Now, little brother, its your turn." He pulled from his long duster coat a small revolver and aimed it at a dangling Lucas.  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
A shot rang out, then another, followed by three more. Jared, never fired his gun, Lucas was still alive, so who fired the shots?   
Jared turned around, aimed his gun at Caleb and was shot once more by Ben.   
Still moving foreward, Ben emptied his gun into Jared, and he went down.  
  
Ben moved towards Lucas barely holding on. A shot rang out and Jared dove off the bridge.  
Blake, still in his State Patrol dress uniform, fired one more time, this time it hit Jared in the head.  
  
~~~~~~~~~ 


	9. Chapter 8

Three days have past since that night. Jessica, and her mother are still in the hospital.  
  
Lucas made sure his girls had a fresh bouquet of red roses every morning.  
Caleb was unaware what had happened since Jared's arrival. Gail accepted his apology, but Jessica hesitated at first, but she sensed he was sincere.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Blake brought in a cardboard box and dropped in her lap that evening. "What's this?" Curious, Jessica opened the box.  
  
"Well?" Blake asked.  
  
"Its my book." She quietly spoke.  
  
"Let me see hon." Gail reached for the book in her daughter's hand.   
The hardcover book was red and navy.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Lucas crawled into bed with Gail that night, the light on her side of the bed was still on.   
  
"Is it that good?" Lucas asked his wife, peering over her shoulder. No answer.  
  
"Gail?"  
  
"Just a minute, I want to finish this chapter." She told him turning the page. "You were saying Lucas?" His beloved put the book on the nightstand.  
  
"Is the book our daughter wrote any good?" He asked carefully.  
  
"Its not bad for a first book....." Gail turned to look at him. "Somethin' troubling you Lucas?"  
  
"How long have Blake and Jessica known each other?" He asked.  
  
"Almost 23 years now, why?"  
  
"Well Blake and I a little chat today."  
  
"Bout what?"  
  
"Him dating Jessica."  
  
"So? They've been doing that since Junior year in high school." Gail pointed out.  
  
"No, what I mean is serious dating."  
  
Something clicked in Jessica's mother head. "OH! That kind of dating. What did you tell him?"  
  
"That it was all right with me, and if he breaks her heart..."   
  
Gail turned off the light. "You'd what?"  
  
"Hunt him down and kill him."  
  
Gail smiled. "Spoken like a true father."  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
